Missing Her
by speedreader1999
Summary: It's been three weeks. Three weeks since I've seen her last, three weeks since I've held her in my arms. Three weeks since I've felt her warm presence beside me, three weeks since… everything. *One-shot*


My eyes fly open, and automatically I'm stumbling out of bed and towards the bathroom. Retching noises are heard a few moments later and my stomach feels awful.

A few minutes later I'm done, and I lean against the bathroom wall and sink to the cool tile. My head conks against the white wallpaper and I clench my teeth, trying to get the nightmare out of my head.

It's been three weeks.

Three weeks since I've seen her last, three weeks since I've held her in my arms. Three weeks since I've felt her warm presence beside me, three weeks since… everything.

In the back of my mind I knew she was at Olympus, designing for the god's new palace, but the stronger, more instinctive part of my mind told myself something was wrong. The nightmares had gotten worse and worse, spinning out of control until I reached the point a few weeks ago that I started throwing up.

The bile taste lingered in my mouth, causing me to change my position so I was on my knees, retching over the toilet again. After a few moments I leaned back again, sweating and shivering at the same time.

Suddenly light footsteps were hard and the face of my mother appeared. "Percy?" she said softly. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath, but it soon became distorted by a cough. "I'm fine," I tried to assure her.

Within two steps she was by my side, on the ground and running her hand through my hair. Ever if I wanted to, I couldn't stop her; my strength seemed to have faded out of me.

The unfamiliar feeling in my throat came again and I leaned forward. My mother immediately stopped rubbing my hair and moved her hand down my back, moving her fingers in small circles.

It seemed like a few hours- in reality, it was only a minute or so- when I stopped, leaning into my mother's warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around me like she did when I was a child, terrified of the dreams I had.

Except the one I had now were worst.

Speaking softly as not to provoke my stomach again, my mother spoke. "Percy, what's wrong?"

Between gasps and shivers, I managed to answer. "Annabeth," I said quietly. "I miss her."

My mother paused her rubbing, then immediately continued when she realized that I was shaking like a leaf. "Oh, Percy."

We stayed like this for a while, her holding me and me trying not to throw up again. As I faded into sleep, millions of thoughts burned through my mind, but the one with my most recent nightmare lingered.

_Annabeth's not dead, _I told myself. _She's not. _

* * *

I stepped out of my mom's car like a zombie, taking minuscule steps at a time. Then I felt a sharp poke on my back and I groaned. "Mom," I said, turning around. "I'm fine."

Her eyes met mine and I could see the worry in them. "Are you sure? I can call the school and tell them you're sick, which isn't far from the truth…"

I shook my head and took a few steps away. She pursed her lips and rolled the window up, pulling out of the parking lot after waving to someone. My eyes flickered over and I saw my step-father.

I waved at him, but my actions were sluggish. When he waved back I turned and walked into the school.

It was like a battleground. Kids were everywhere, chatting and throwing things. I got hit with a paper airplane at one point, but I didn't particularly care. It wasn't the dullest point, but I couldn't really feel anything but numb at the moment.

_Annabeth. _Her name echoed throughout my mind, over and over again as blackness over took me and I fell to the floor.

* * *

My eye flew open for what seemed like the hundredth time today, and I felt a cool glass of water almost immediately on my lips. "Drink," a voice ordered.

I complied and the water rushed down my throat, seeming to give me energy. After it as pulled away I tried to prop myself up, but found that I couldn't. It was if my strength was gone; my powers, my Achilles power was gone.

A warm hand was felt on my chest, and I looked up into familiar eyes. "Mom?" I whispered.

She nodded, then turned away for a second. I could hear her faintly chatting with someone, but it was hard. My breathing was coming in shallow gasps and I was shaking uncontrollably. Then a saw the shape of someone else in the room, someone holding a clipboard.

The person held a blinding light to my eyes and I flinched away. A sharp noise was heard. "Young man, when was the last time you ate?"

I tried to remember, then it hit me. I was _starving. _"Three days, maybe? A week?"

I heard my mom gasp. "Percy," she scolded. "You told me you were eating!"

I shook my head. Everything was blurry… "I don't know. I mean… I'm not sure." I looked around, hoping the dizziness had gotten better, but it seemed just the opposite. I focused on my mother. "Why… why is everything blurry?"

I heard faint screams as I felt a wave of black come over me. "Annabeth," I whispered, before falling unconscious.

_It was dark. It wasn't night, I knew that much, but it was very, very dark. The only light came from the torch in my hands, which I looked at with surprise. How did that get there? _

_ Faint coughing was heard and I perked up at the sound. "Hello? Is anyone there?"_

_ A yelp, then another bout of coughing. "Percy…"_

_ My eyes widened and I ran towards the sound. A few moments later she came into view and I gasped. "Annabeth…"_

_ She was lying on a floor, bloodied and bruised. The hem of her tee-shirt was ripped and her shorts were frayed. Bruised littered her arms and legs and blood seeped from the middle of her shirt, along with spots on her blond hair._

_ I knelt down beside her, but the moment I touched her, an echoing scream came from her. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"_

_ Shocked, my hand paused a few inches from her hair. "Annabeth?"_

_ Her gray eyes were filled with anger. "You," she hissed. "You did this to me! I hate you!"_

_ "What? I didn't-"_

_ "Get away from me!" She tried to move away from me, but a sharp crack reached my ears and she stopped, curling up into a ball and screaming._

_ I tried to move towards her again, but this time I felt something holding me back. I twisted my head but I couldn't see anything. Then I look towards Annabeth again, and I froze._

_ Luke was standing over her, a smile on his face. _

_ I thrashed around, but whatever was holding me back was strong. "Get away from her!" I screamed. _

_ He looked up at me, a casual look on his face. "Hey, Percy. How's it going?"_

_ I growled. "Get away from her!"_

_ A puzzled expression came over him. "Get away from whom?"_

_ I looked down at Annabeth, but to my surprise she was gone. My eyes widened. "What did you do to her?" When there was no answer, I fought harder against the invisible force. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER?!"_

_ His expression turned to anger. "You," he said, his voice filled with poison. "You hurt her!"_

_ "I didn't-"_

_ "Enough," he yelled, and I felt the tightening of something around my chest before-_

I came to consciousness slowly. My head was on something very comfortable- a pillow? -and my body was equally comfortable, but I could tell my head was elevated.

Light humming reached my ears and I could feel someone stroking my hair, just like my mom did last night. But this touch was different, gentler even.

A groan escaped my lips and the humming stopped. "Percy?" A voice said, and immediately my eyes flew open, revealing Annabeth leaning over me, her gray eyes filled with worry.

I tried to sit up, but found that I couldn't. My body felt like a weight, so I settled for looking around.

I was in my bedroom, my head on Annabeth's lap and the rest of my body lying on my bed. She was near the head of my bed and her presence calmed me down, at least a little. It was a bit darker than when I had collapsed at Goode- _oh crud, school._

"What happened?" I asked, but found I couldn't continue. My throat felt like sandpaper.

Annabeth placed her delicate hands underneath my head and moved it to my pillow. Then I felt her slid down beside me, placing her hands on my chest. We lay like this for a little, but I was content.

I moved my arms and encircled her body, pulling her closer to me. Her body was as warm as mine was cold, but I didn't care at the moment.

She was in my arms. That was all that mattered.


End file.
